Revelation 7:1-8:5

New International Version

144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners^(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds^(B) of the earth to prevent^(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ²Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal^(D) of the living God.^(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:^(F) ³“Do not harm^(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads^(H) of the servants of our God.” ⁴Then I heard the number^(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000^(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

⁵From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

⁶from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

⁷from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

⁸from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

⁹After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,^(K) standing before the throne^(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes^(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,^(N)
who sits on the throne,^(O)
and to the Lamb.”

¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders^(P) and the four living creatures.^(Q) They fell down on their faces^(R) before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”^(S)

¹³Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes^(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes^(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.^(V) ¹⁵Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God^(W)
    and serve him^(X) day and night in his temple;^(Y)
and he who sits on the throne^(Z)
    will shelter them with his presence.^(AA)
¹⁶‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.^(AB)
The sun will not beat down on them,’^[a]
    nor any scorching heat.^(AC)
¹⁷For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;^(AD)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’^[b]^(AE)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’^[c]”^(AF)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When he opened the seventh seal,^(AG) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

²And I saw the seven angels^(AH) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.^(AI)

³Another angel,^(AJ) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,^(AK) on the golden altar^(AL) in front of the throne. ⁴The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God^(AM) from the angel’s hand. ⁵Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,^(AN) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,^(AO) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.^(AP)

Footnotes

Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8

Psalm 37

New International Version

Psalm 37^[a]

Of David.

¹Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious^(A) of those who do wrong;^(B)
²for like the grass they will soon wither,^(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.^(D)

³Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land^(E) and enjoy safe pasture.^(F)
⁴Take delight^(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.^(H)

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him^(I) and he will do this:
⁶He will make your righteous reward^(J) shine like the dawn,^(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still^(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently^(M) for him;
do not fret^(N) when people succeed in their ways,^(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.^(P)

⁸Refrain from anger^(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret^(R)—it leads only to evil.
⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed,^(S)
but those who hope^(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.^(U)

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more;^(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹But the meek will inherit the land^(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.^(X)

¹²The wicked plot^(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth^(Z) at them;
¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.^(AA)

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword^(AB)
    and bend the bow^(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,^(AD)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts,^(AE)
    and their bows will be broken.^(AF)

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth^(AG) of many wicked;
¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken,^(AH)
but the Lord upholds^(AI) the righteous.

¹⁸The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,^(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.^(AK)
¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish:^(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.^(AM)

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;^(AN)
²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses^(AO) will be destroyed.^(AP)

²³The Lord makes firm the steps^(AQ)
of the one who delights^(AR) in him;
²⁴though he may stumble, he will not fall,^(AS)
for the Lord upholds^(AT) him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken^(AU)
    or their children begging^(AV) bread.
²⁶They are always generous and lend freely;^(AW)
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]^(AX)

²⁷Turn from evil and do good;^(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.^(AZ)
²⁸For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.^(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.^(BB)
²⁹The righteous will inherit the land^(BC)
and dwell in it forever.^(BD)

³⁰The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,^(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹The law of their God is in their hearts;^(BF)
their feet do not slip.^(BG)

³²The wicked lie in wait^(BH) for the righteous,^(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
³³but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned^(BJ) when brought to trial.^(BK)

³⁴Hope in the Lord^(BL)
and keep his way.^(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,^(BN) you will see^(BO) it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing^(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.^(BQ)

³⁷Consider the blameless,^(BR) observe the upright;^(BS)
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]^(BT)
³⁸But all sinners^(BU) will be destroyed;^(BV)
there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.^(BW)

³⁹The salvation^(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.^(BY)
⁴⁰The Lord helps^(BZ) them and delivers^(CA) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves^(CB) them,
    because they take refuge^(CC) in him.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
Psalm 37:38 Or posterity